Why do we call them this?

Asked by xluigix 2 months ago, 7 answers.

Why do we call "french fries" french fries if they are not even French?!

Answered by mysterywolf on Sep 13, 2008, 09:17PM
| 2239 answers.
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In the 1840s, pomme frites ('fried potatoes') first appeared in Paris. Sadly, we don't know the name of the ingenious chef who first sliced the potato into long slender pieces and fried them. But they were immediately popular, and were sold on the streets of Paris by push-cart vendors.

Frites spread to America where they were called French fried potatoes. You asked how they got their name--pretty obvious, I'd say: they came from France, and they were fried potatoes, so they were called "French fried potatoes." The name was shortened to "french fries" in the 1930s.

By the way, the verb "to french" in cooking has come to mean to cut in long, slender strips, and some people insist that "french fries" come from that term. However, the French fried potato was known since the middle 1800s, while the OED cites the first use of the verb "to french" around 1895, so it appears pretty convincing that "french fried potatoes" came before the verb "frenching." The origin of the name is thus the country of origin French and not the cooking term french.

Read more about it here: http://www.straightd...

And here: http://en.wikipedia....

| 1 of 1 thought this was helpful

Answered by brezziib00ss on Sep 13, 2008, 08:41PM
| 357 answers.

LOL
Thats a funny question, naybe its from france or made by french people, OH I DON'T KNOW !

WOW, Now you have me wondering...

hmmm.

Answered by hippiepeaceprincess on Sep 13, 2008, 08:43PM
| 311 answers.

I really dont know
wasn't there some weird thing where they wanted to rename them freedom fries or something

Answered by pleasureinpain on Sep 13, 2008, 08:46PM
| 16 answers.

why is it that if you take something by ship, it's called cargo, but take the same thing by car, and it's called a shipment?

Answered by xluigix on Sep 13, 2008, 08:47PM
| 93 answers.

pleasureinpain, what are you talking about and what does that have to do with my my french fries question?

Answered by pleasureinpain on Sep 13, 2008, 09:22PM
| 16 answers.

why are there locks on the doors at Waffle House if they are open 24/7, 365?

Answered by lanternoflight on Sep 17, 2008, 08:09AM
| 726 answers.

"By the way, the verb "to french" in cooking has come to mean to cut in long, slender strips"

I thought that was julianing.. lol. I dont know.

After Sept. 11 they wanted to rename them Freedom Fries. It didnt stick.

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